All posts by : Joel Phillips

There’s an ancient Chinese story about a young man who wanted to learn about the jade trade. He sought out a talented elder teacher who was an expert on jade. The teacher, upon meeting the young man, put a piece of jade into his hand and told him to hold it tight. The teacher then began to talk about philosophy. After an hour, he took back the stone and sent the young man home. This strange procedure was repeated for weeks. Not surprisingly, the young man became frustrated—when would he be taught about jade?—but his respect for elder teacher caused him to keep returning. Then one day when the old man put a stone into his hands, the young man cried out instantly,

“That’s not jade!”

What a beautiful word picture of our relationship with God. Once we’ve experienced the genuine things of God, we can spot counterfeit ones a mile away. When we’ve experienced God, nothing nor anyone can substitute.

John the Beloved tells us of some Greek men that came to Philip and said,

“Sir, we would see Jesus.” (Jn 12:21)

The founder of the Foursquare Church, Aimee Semple McPherson, had this verse (Jn. 12:21) carved into her pulpit in Angelus Temple. Her heart was like those Greek men, the only thing that matters is getting to Jesus. One songwriter expressed this so well:

He is more than enough, more than enough,
He is el shaddai, The God of Plenty,
The All-Sufficient One, God Almighty,
Jesus is more than enough!

Have you ever been somewhere and sensed God’s presence, but it seemed that others around you were totally oblivious, unmoved and unaffected?

I remember being at the Los Angeles Coliseum for a Promise Keepers gathering. There were 50,000+ men gathered there. While we were worshipping, God’s presence was so strong that we all began kneel and bow our heads. You could hear men crying out and expressing their love for God. I happened to notice a group of men that were the only ones in the whole stadium still standing. I found out later they were from a church where nothing like that had ever happened before. So they just stared straight ahead, hands by their sides, and seemed to be missing what the Holy Spirit was doing.

No doubt there have been times when all of us have missed something God was doing. But how is it that one person could experience such a dynamic touch of God’s Spirit, while someone right next to them doesn’t? Hebrews 5:14 offers this:

“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

In other words, in order to discern spiritual things and not miss when God is working, we must have our spiritual senses developed. We do this by keeping our spirit exercised, in shape, and tuned-up.

May God bring us to place where we can have his love and presence placed in our hands over and over and over again until we can easily discern the real from the counterfeit, and never miss sensing His presence.

They had changed so much.  Anyone who’d known them over the years could not believe the changes they had made.  And they were unashamed to tell people that it was Jesus who had changed them.

They had both been addicted to meth, and dealing it too.  CPS had taken their children away.  They had been in and out of jail.  They had been in and out of court appointed rehab.  Their lives were a mess, a real mess, and they knew it.

Then one day they ran into old friend who invited them to church.  For some strange reason they went.

They were nervous.  They sat in the back.  It felt like everybody was staring at them.  One of the ushers came over to them.  They thought for sure he was going ask them to leave.  Instead he extended his hand and warmly welcomed them.  Several other people came over and also welcomed them.

Their friend arrived to sit with them just as the music started.  Pretty soon everyone was standing and clapping their hands.  It was strange to the couple how happy everyone seemed.

The pastor was an older man.  As he talked, they felt like he was speaking directly to them. 

“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done.  There is nothing, no mistake, no sin, nothing! That can separate you from the love of God!”
 

He asked people who wanted to invite Jesus into their lives to raise their hands.  They both did, and that’s when the changes began.  Within weeks they were reading their bibles and praying together.  They had joy and peace like they had never known before.

They went to every service, and anything else happening at the church.  Soon a year had passed, then two years.  They continued faithfully…until that one beautiful summer Sunday, they went to the beach.

Over the next year, other things began pull them away from church.  Housework.  Family get-togethers.  Their kid’s athletic games.  Watching football.  Sleeping in.  They even visited other churches.  

Someone from the church ran into them at the store and asked where they had been. 

“We have church at home.”
 

The answer was true.  On Sundays when they weren’t doing other things, they would pray together, and sometimes read their bibles together, then they would watch a televangelist that they both enjoyed.

Over time, things they had felt were wrong and even sinful before, were now entering their lives.  The joy and the peace they had experienced earlier was mostly gone.   Rarely now, if ever, did they tell people about the changes that Jesus had made in their lives, because no one asked. 

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)
 

There’s something about going to church that is irreplaceable in the life of a follower of Christ.  Certainly there is strength and growth that can and should be gained from fellowship outside of church, but not at the expense of being connected to a local church.

You may fellowship in a home church, but you’re unlikely to find much contrast and growth in the relationships—because the group is, by definition, highly selective and exclusive. There will be little iron-sharpening-iron, nor struggles to get along with believers you don’t agree with.

“Just me and Jesus”
 

Being a loner is profoundly off-center from the New Testament record of a church learning to respond to widows neglected in daily rationing (Acts 6:1-7); or the disharmony between individuals (Philippians 4:2).  And then there is the constant exhortation to “preserve unity” (Ephesians 4:3), and not to forsake gathering together “as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25).

Missing church to enjoy family, friends, and other activities is not a damnable sin that guarantees spiritual collapse.  Nor does being in a church service every week guarantee spiritual success. 

But make no mistake; there are many ungodly and spiritually dangerous reasons why individuals get tempted to draw away from regular church involvement. For example, Proverbs 18:1 explains that some people separate themselves in order to pursue their own “desire,” unchallenged by the wisdom of others.  Sometimes, the lying whispers of slanderers divide and scatter a flock (Proverbs 16:28; 17:9). Self-seekers, fault-finders and worldly-minded people can also create divisions (see 3 John 1:9-11 and Jude 1:16-19).

Lasting spiritual results almost always require some kind of structure, and that’s what God ordained for the local church.  Of course, having too much structure can kill spontaneous life and vitality; but where there is little or no structure, there is little submission and instruction that will lead to lasting spiritual fruit.

Many people have received love, mending, healing, training and spiritual empowerment at church, causing changes so great in their lives that everyone around them could notice.  But too many people have allowed these changes to give way to other things, and soon their spiritual lives become dry and unfruitful.  When it came time to “grow up” and exchange the thrill of receiving ministry for the responsibility doing ministry, they found no use for the very place/process that God used so mightily in their lives.

David could sense the guys were a little nervous as they ventured further into the cave.  It was gigantic, and very dark.

“It’s okay,” David assured them.  “I’ve been in here lots of times.  I’ve had to rescue a few sheep from here.  And, I can guarantee there are no bears or lions in here because I’ve killed them all!”  They breathed a little easier.  Then someone quipped, “Yeah, and now you can add a few giants to the list.”  They all laughed.

It wasn’t long before they were all asleep.  They needed to rest.  But David couldn’t sleep.  His mind raced with all the horrible things that King Saul had done and said to him.  It was so confusing.  David had never meant anything to hurt, offend, or anger Saul.  In fact he loved Saul, and his son Jonathan.  But now Saul and his whole army were hunting him like animal.  The son of Jesse had been branded an outlaw.

“Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head.” (Ps 69:4) 
 

He tossed and turned.  Then his eye caught part of the cave as the torchlight reflected on it.  He remembered a song that he had written in the same cave. 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) 
 

Then a couple more songs came to his mind.  He sang them,

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you…” (Psalm 56:3)

“…my help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth…” (Psalm 121:2) 
 

His beautiful voice was ringing through the cave now. He was starting to feel much better.  Then suddenly the torchlight was put out.  The man on watch whispered loudly, “Quiet!”

David worked his way over to the watchman’s post.  The watchman pointed toward the entrance of the cave.  There was someone there.  Reflections off the armor gave away that it was soldier.  David and his men watched as the man made his way in to the cave and laid down.  In a few moments they could hear him snoring. 

As he moved closer to the sleeping soldier, there was now enough light coming from the cave’s entrance that David could make out the man’s clothing.  He could tell by the colors of his garments and the ornate embellishments on his armor that this was no ordinary soldier.  Then David spotted his sword.  He knew immediately who it was, and by this time so did all of the men with him. 

“Slit his throat!” one of the them said.  David stood staring, then moved closer.  He pulled his knife out of its sheave.  The men were thrilled as they expected to see Saul killed, but instead David just cut a corner of his rob off.

The guys were totally confused.  David quietly moved to the back of the cave.  They could hear him talking to himself.

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:4–5) 
 

David knew God would help and protect him. This was not something that he learned that moment, or that had just occurred to him.  He knew that the same God who had watched over him in every other difficult and dangerous situation, in every dark place where the teeth of animals glistened, would watch over him now. 

“God took David from the sheepfolds, from following ewes and their lambs, to Shepherding Jacob His people” (PS. 78:71)

 

The little indicator alert was red.  She clicked it.  Her eyebrows rose when she read the name of the person who had sent her the friend request.  She knew him, but it had been a long time. 

She was curious to see what he looked liked after all these years, but the picture of him was too small, so she clicked it, which took her to his profile page.  There were lots of pictures.  She browsed.  There were pictures of him, his kids, his home, his vacation, etc.  There was even an old picture of him standing by a car.  She knew that car.  It brought back all sorts of memories.

He was her first real boyfriend—an old flame.

She couldn’t help but wonder what her life would have been like if they had stayed together.  Would they have gotten married?  What would their children have looked like?  What kind of house would they be living in?  Her heart was beating a little faster. 

The love she had for her husband was bright and burning like the sun, but all the sudden there was a little star visible in her sky.  Before this friend request, she had no idea where this man lived, nor how to find him if she wanted to.  Now, he was as close as the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling above her sons’ beds. 

Facebook gave her two options: “Confirm” or, “Ignore.”  She paused.  “Maybe he’s just saying hello,” she thought.  “Chances are, it’s no big deal.”  But the more she thought about it, she knew what she needed to do—she made a choice regarding him, and her past, as well as his request—the old flame was quietly ignored.

Paul said,

“I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” (Phil. 3:8)
 

This verse is about material things, but it also about memories, experiences, achievements, and the people associated with them. They are to be seen as “loss,” which in Greek carries with it the idea of “damage,” and “rubbish,” which is often interpreted as “dung.” 

We cannot totally forget what we did in the past, nor the people involved, but we are not to allow our memories to define, condemn, or entice us anymore. Jesus said, 

“Anyone who wants to work with me and keeps thinking about the past isn’t what I’m looking for.” (Luke 9:62)
 

This may seem harsh, but Jesus knew our memories could be so subtle and so seductive, that we would begin to relive them, wishing for places, things, and people from another chapter of our lives, and outside of him.  Paul cuts to the heart of issue by saying,

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)
 

The devil is really good at sending old friends and old flames to cross your path to stir up all sorts of old memories.  But when it happens, there’s an “Ignore” button you can hit…remember that the person they’re looking for is dead.

“Thirty-four right, twelve left, and then thirty-six right. And don’t forget to clear it first, that old padlock can be stubborn” his dad said.

“Okay awesome!  This is so cool dad!  I can’t believe you’re letting me do this!” yelled Randy as he burst out the front door.

A few minutes later he was spinning the combination of the padlock that secured the door to an old shed.  Inside was the family ski boat.  This was the first time Randy’s dad had let him take the boat on his own up to the lake.  His heart was pounding.

But the padlock remained locked. 

“Stupid lock!!! Okay, let’s try this again,” Randy said to himself.  “Thirty-four right, twelve left, thirty-six right.”  Nothing.  He tried it again.  Nothing.  After several more attempts failed, he started back to the house. 

He was thoroughly frustrated.  “Why the heck doesn’t dad get a new lock? That thing’s older than me!”  He continued toward the front door, but hesitated before he went in.  “What if dad changes is mind and doesn’t let me take the boat?” he speculated.  

So he sat on the front porch, not sure what to do. 

Suddenly the front door opened.  It was Randy’s dad.  “What are you doing?” he asked.  “Um, I can’t get the lock open,” answered Randy. His dad began to say, “Thirty-four right, twelve left…” when Randy interrupted, “Yeah, then thirty-six right. I know. That’s what I did.”

Then his dad asked, “Did you clear it first?”  Silence.  “Did you clear the lock?” his dad again asked.  Shrugging his shoulders, Randy sheepishly replied, “I don’t remember you telling me that.”  “Yes I did,” his dad answered. “That’s very important.  I don’t think you were listening very good.”  His dad smiled, then in a deep baritone voice said, “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen.”  Puzzled, Randy looked at him and said…

“Wait, What? Who’s E.F. Hutton?”

Several thousand years ago, 2 Chronicles 13 recorded a horrible event.  The story starts out good enough: David had conquered Jerusalem and decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to the city.  He finds out where it was and goes to get it.  But then story takes a negative turn.

“When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.” (1 Chronicles 13:9–13)

Many things have been written, said, preached, etc. about what happened here.  Everyone makes careful note of David’s passion to get God’s presence back and Uzzah’s presumptuous and deadly mistake, but few make much of David’s response. 

We are told that David was angry, then became afraid, and then gave up bringing the ark back to Jerusalem altogether, leaving it at the house of man named Obed-Edom.  Totally frustrated, David plopped down in front of Obed’s house.

But God didn’t let David sulk for too long. 

While the Ark was parked at Obed’s house, David discovered that hundreds of years prior, there were actually very clear directions given for the handling of the ark, but over the years these steps and procedures had been overlooked and forgotten. 

“Wait.  What?  Who are the priests?”

David shouted as he learned that not only was the ark to be carried in a very specific way, more importantly, it was to only be carried by priests.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out who the priests were.  He called Zadok, Abiathar, and other men, who were of the tribe of Levi.  Then he gave them the lowdown,

“The bad news is that carrying the ark without guys ended in disaster.  The good news is that God has given us some clear directions on how to do it and that’s where you come in.” (1 Chronicles 15:13, JHP)

After this, the ark was successfully brought to Jerusalem.  David danced and twirled with joy.  His anger had vanished.  His fear was gone.  And God blessed his rule, calling him a man after His own heart.  

And the boat was successfully launched at the lake. Randy was smiling from ear to ear as the wind blew in his hair.  He looked at one of his friends and said, “I’m not sure who E.F. Hutton is, but I’m sure glad I listened to my dad!”

The young man sits in the courtroom.  His hair is dyed a clownish red color.  His wild-eyed gaze is punctuated by the lifting of his eyebrows.  Family and loved-ones victimized by this killer are staring over at him in anger. One man seethes with hatred as he looks at the person who killed his daughter, and fights the shame of wondering if he could’ve done more to protect her.

By this time we all know who this young man is.  He’s the deranged gunman who opened fire on a crowded Aurora, Colorado movie theater killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.  Without knowing much else about him, the name James Holmes will forever be associated with evil, and with shame.

There are now pictures and videos being shown of a house in Rancho Penasquitos, California that’s surrounded with reporters, cameras, lights, and media vans.  It’s the house where James Holmes grew up.  And it’s the house where his dad, mom, and 16-year-old sister still live.  While people look for answers as to why this young man did what he did, his family hides in their home, stifled with the contaminating stench of shame.

It’s being reported that James went to church regularly with his parents, and that his sister played bass in the worship team.  When interviewed, the pastor recalled James being “a proud, intelligent boy who was determined to go to graduate school.”  The pastor no doubt wonders if he should’ve been able to recognize any warning signs that could’ve prevented this tragedy, all the while  the contaminants of shame sift their way through his thoughts.

The sobering truth is that shame devourers the guilty,
and everyone associated with them.

The phrase, “There’s sin in the camp,” is often used when things don’t seem to being going well and someone’s to blame.  It comes from the Old Testament account of the children of Israel entering into the Promised Land.  They had conquered the walled city of Jericho and were now moving forward to take the city of Ai.  Joshua sent up 3000 men for what seemed a simple task, only to have them return in total defeat.  Exasperated and grieved, Joshua inquired of the Lord to find out what was wrong.  God responds,

“Israel has sinned against me. Gather every household and find out who the culprit is!”

One by one Joshua confronts the head of each family, asking each of them if they had done anything wrong.  A man named Achan had been nervously listening and watching everything.  His face distorted with stress as Joshua now stood in front of him.  The question had barely come out of Joshua’s mouth when Achan blurted out,

“It’s me! It’s me! I did it!  I’m the one to blame!!!”

It turns out that Achan had kept for himself some of the spoils from the Jericho raid, and it was this thing that had greatly angered the Lord and subsequently caused the defeat at Ai.  Joshua then sent some men to Achan’s tent and recovered the items.  But it didn’t end there. 

Joshua commanded that Achan be stoned to death…along with his wife, and his kids, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep.  And after they were stoned, they were to be burned along with everything associated with him.  Forever Achan’s name and everything related to him will be horribly and indelibly marred with the shame of sin and guilt.

This is why the book of Proverbs tells us,

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth.” (Proverbs 22:1)

But what if your name is associated with guilt and shame?  Is there any cure for this?  Yes!  Paul declares,

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus now stands in front of our accusers and takes our place as the inquiries and accusations come.  Jesus now sits in the courtroom in our place as the charges against us are being read.  Jesus now comes to the darkened places we’ve been hiding in, and lets us escape to a new and better place where we will never again be associated with guilt or the contamination of shame.

He told us to bow our heads and close our eyes.  I sat there staring at the floor.  There was no carpet in the little camp chapel, just dirty plywood.

“Young people, Jesus is here in this place and He wants to touch you with his spirit.”

As he said that, something deep inside of me knew it was true.  I could feel Jesus.  I knew he was there.  

“What you’re feeling right now is real. If you’re sensing something, I want you to come forward for prayer”

No one was responding. I was thinking there was no way I was going forward, but I couldn’t get away from what I was feeling.  Jesus was right by me and I knew it, and I knew I needed to go forward.

I stood and began to walk towards the front.  A boldness began to rise in me that didn’t even care what anyone thought.  When I got to the front, others were there too.  We all knelt together.  A moment later I felt a hand on my head, and could hear someone praying for me.  I started to cry.  Then a person whispered in my ear,

“You’ll never forget this”

I haven’t.  I’ve gone back to that moment in that little chapel at Camp Crestview in Corbett, Oregon a million times.  I was only 12 years old, but it was there that I learned how to sense God’s presence and to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to have courage when he’s telling me to do something that’s out of my comfort zone.

It’s amazing how many people tell me of similar experiences at camp.  It’s something about being somewhere remote, away from their families, surrounded with other young people, hating the food, and not feeling necessarily spiritual, that they encountered God in way they’ve never forgotten. 

Certainly God can and wants to reach people of any age, but he particularly loves to reach people while they’re young.  Before their lives are marred with sin and futility, he wants them to hear his voice calling them.  He wants to soften them with his love and energize them with his destiny. 

“While he was still young, the Lord came and called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel replied, ‘Speak, your servant is listening.’  Then the Lord spoke to Samuel…As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.” (1 Samuel 3:10, 19)

 God is still calling young men and women today.  I’m praying whoever reads this would consider helping, encouraging, even paying for a young person(s) to go to camp.  Not any particular camp, but just a place that is welcoming God’s spirit to come and touch their lives in way they’ll never forget. 

Every night our two cats, Jeffy and Jack, have to be brought in. Jeffy will run and practically jump in your arms, but Jack is a royal pain. He’s always out and about “hunting and exploring.” We make all those silly sounds to call him that only people who have cats know about. We even shake a little dish filled with cat food. Sometimes he comes, sometimes he doesn’t. When Jack doesn’t come in we worry all night about him.

Last night I went outside to get the cats. Jeffy ran straight at me, then by me, and into the house. And of course Jack was nowhere to be seen. As I began making those aforementioned silly noises, I spotted him over in a field near our house. I called him. No movement. I moved closer to see what he was doing.

Jack was down low in a hunting-like position staring straight ahead. I watched him for about five minutes wondering what he was stalking. Then I called his name and as I did little tiny bird popped up off the ground right in front of Jack. He leapt after it but it flew away.

Jack turned and looked at me with a look that said, “What the heck?! Couldn’t see what I was doing over here? Hello! That was one of the biggest and best birds EVER and YOU scared it away!” After looking one more time at the spot where the bird was, he sulked his way over towards me and let me pick him up.

“Sorry Jack, but you need to come in,” I whispered in his ear. As I put him down inside the house he went over and began to eat some cat food. I’ll bet he was thinking, “Blah, blah, blah. I’m eating the same old BORING cat food when I could’ve been feasting on wild fowl fricassee.”

A few hours later, Jack was sound asleep on the couch. He didn’t even hear the howls and yelps of the pack of coyotes out in the field, but I did. I was sure glad he was inside.

“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.” (Psalm 119:10, NIV84)

This verse tells us that we can love the Lord and seek him with all our hearts, but still get off track. So it encourages us to ask God to keep us from straying.

The things that get us off track can seem so important and valid, but they are not what God wants. Then when he finds us and directs us back to where we should be, we complain and see it as an interruption, even a disappointment.

“God what are you doing? That was the best situation for me! There was so much potential! I wish I could’ve just stayed there!”

The Bible is filled with accounts of people who God interrupted. They were just going about their business when he called them to something else. Some went willingly, some not. Some saw burning bushes, some were swallowed by fish. Some were thrust into the limelight, some were assigned to obscurity. But one thing is for sure, anytime God interrupts what people were doing, it’s always for the best.

Someone reading this can’t understand why God didn’t let you finish that project. Or why he didn’t let you stay at that place. You were so close. Things looked so good. And now it seems you’ve been taken somewhere unexciting and bland when compared to that hands-on, upbeat place of innovation.

It’s okay. It’s time for you to rest in God’s hands. He knows what’s best for you. He’ll feed you and take care of you. He loves you more than you’ll ever know. And He also knows the dangers darkness brings. He knew the enemy was coming to the place you were, so he has brought you safely to the place where he is.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6, NIV84)